Electric plug connecter



1933- E. c. RANEY ELECTRIC PLUG CONNECTER Filed Sept. 26, 1929 PatentedAug. 15, 1933 UNITED STATES 1,922,394 ELECTRIC PLUG CONNECTER. Estel o.Raney, Columbus, Ohio Application September 26, 1929 Serial No. 395,416

2 Claims.

My invention has for its object to provide an eflicient electricconnecter. Connecters containing the invention are particularly of valuewhere gasses or materials exist that are deleterious to the metalcontacts of the electric circuit connecter or where inflammable gassesor vapors may become ignited by the break in the circuit at the contactswhen disconnection is made.

Preferred forms or embodiments of the invention utilize terminals thatare frictionally and elastically engaged by spring contacts that areenclosed in a substantially sealed chamber which prevents the entranceof injurious or inflammable gases or vapors in advance of the separationof the contacts and terminals. The invention also provides an eificientfemale plug that may be used for a great variety of purposes.

The invention. may be contained in connecters that vary in their detailsof construction and, to illustrate a practical application of theinvention, I have selected a plug connecter containing the invention asan example of the various forms of structure that embody the invention,and shall describe the connecter hereinafter. The connecter selected forpurposes of illustration is shown in the accompanying-drawing.

Fig. 1 is a side view of the connecter, a part being shown in section.Fig. 2 is a view of a partitioning plate that divides the female memberof the connecter into a chamber for containing the terminals and asocket for receiving the member that is connected through the connecter.Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the parts of the connecter looking up,the partitioning plate having been removed therefrom. Fig. 4 is a viewof a section taken on the plane of the line 44 indicated in Fig. 3, therelative dimensions, however, being larger than those of Fig. 3. Fig. 5is a view of a section, taken on the plane of the lines 55 indicated inFig. 1. Fig. 6 is a view of a section taken on the plane of the line 6-6indicated in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a partial crosssectional view of thecontacts of the connecter illustrating the means by which the contactsare maintained in a closed position relative to one another. Fig. 8 is aperspective view in elevation of the male member of the connecter. Fig.9 is a view of a section taken on the plane of line 99 indicated in Fig.2. Fig. 10 illustrates a view in perspective of one of the interiorparts of the connecter.

- In the form of construction selected as an example of the embodimentsof my invention, a female plug is provided for connecting a thermallyoperated'switch with an external circuit, the

switch being particularly adapted for use in connection withrefrigerating apparatus. The connecter provides a means for making readyconnection with the thermic device through the contacts which areenclosed within a shell and sealed as against the admission of a gas. Asshown in the figures, the end portions 1 of the terminals 2 thatprotrude from an end Wall of the thermic device 3, are bentsubstantially at right angles to the body portions of the terminals soas to extend in opposite directions, and a female member having contacts4, located in a closed chamber 5 that is formed within the shell 6 ofthe member by means of a partitioning plate 7, is used for connecting anexternal circuit with the terminals 2.

The shell 6 of the female member is preferably formed of insulatingmaterial and is provided with a skirt portion 10 having a shoulder 11.The plate 7 fits the interior of the skirt portion of the shell and isset against the shoulder 11 and forms, thereby, the chamber 5 and thesocket 12. The terminals of the external circuit, or contacts of theconnecter, are located within the chamber v5. The socket 12 is formed tofit against, or around, an end part of the device 3.

Thus, the lower edge portion of the skirt 10 is so formed as to fitabout the end part 13 of the thermic switch 3 and against the rimportion of the end of the thermic device.

The contacts 4 are secured by means of a pair of bushings 15 that areembedded in the insulating material that forms the shell. The ends ofthe contacts are provided with openings and are placed so as to surroundthe ends of the bushings 15. The ends of the bushings are flanged overthe edge portion of the contacts about the openings. If desired, thecontacts may be provided with ears 1'7 that may be struck up therefromto confine the wire of the external circuit to which the connecter isconnected. The bushings 15 are threaded, and threaded sleeves 20 areinserted in the bushings. The sleeves 20 have flanges 21 at their outerends and, in order that they may be screwed into the bushing, the outerends of the sleeves may be provided with notches or slots 22 to receivea screw driver. Thus, the ends of the connecting wires 23 may be placedaround the outer ends of the sleeves 20 and the sleeves 20 may bethreaded into the bushings 15 to clamp the ends of the wires.

The sleeves 20 are also provided with female threads and the plate 7 maybe secured in position against the shoulder I1 by means'of the screws 24that may be passed through the plate '7 and screwed into the sleeves.

The plate '7 is provided with a pair of radially extending openings 25and arcuate slots 26 that are located from the center of the platesubstantially the same distance that the terminals 2 are located fromthe center of the device3. The arcuate slots 26 communicate with theradially extending openings 25. The openings 25 have a sizesubstantially the same as the bent end portions 1 of the terminals 2.Consequently, the terminals 2 may be inserted through the openings 25and then turned so that the body portions of the terminals 2 are movedin the arcuate slots 26. The ends of the contacts 4 being locatedcontiguous to the openings 25, they will be engaged by the end portions1 of the terminals 2.

The contacts 4 slope from the bottom of the shell and terminate in thevicinity to the side edges of the radially extending openings 25 of theplate. Preferably, they are inclined to the plate so that the endsengage the surface of the plate '7 and when the plate '7 is secured inposition, the springs will be slightly pressed, whereby the ends of thecontacts 4 will be yieldingly held against the surface of the plate.Preferably, the plate 7 is provided with recessed portions 28 thatextends to the edges of the openings 25 and so as to locate edgeportions of the bottoms of the recesses 28 at the openings 25 and withinthe surface of the body of the plate. The ends of the contacts lie inthe recesses. When the terminals 2 are inserted into the chamber 5through the openings 25, and the end part 13 of the thermic device 3 islocated in the socket 12, the right angularly extending portions 1 ofthe terminals 2 will be located at a point within the inner surface ofthe plate 7 about the thickness of the contacts 4. The ends of thecontacts that lie in the recesses 28, will be located well below theangularly extending portions 1 so that when the thermic device 3 isrotated and the terminals' 2 move in the slots 26, the right angularextending portions 1 will move over the surfaces of the contacts 4.Since the contacts 4 incline away from the inner surface of the plate 7they will frictionally and elastically resist such movement, .and bytheir elasticity will operate to draw the thermic device 3 tightly inthe socket 12 and produce a pressure between the upper end of thethermic device 3 and the edge of the skirt 10.

Preferably, the contacts are provided with punched out points 30, andthe portions 1 of the terminals 2 are provided with openings 31 thatregister with the raised portions 30 of the contacts 4. The raisedportions 30 are so located that on the completion of the rotativemovement of the thermic device 3 as provided for by the slots 28, thepunched out portions 30 will enter the openings 31 to secure with astill greater frictional resistance the shell 6 relative to the thermicdevice 3 and prevent disconnection between the contacts and theterminals.

The end wall of the shell 6 is provided with an opening 35 and the wires23 of the external circuit are enclosed in, preferably, a flexibleinsulating covering 36 that tightly fits the opening 35. This seals theinterior of the chamber of the shell. Preferably, a collar 37 is securedto the inner end of the insulating covering 36 to prevent withdrawal ofthe wires from the shell 6 and also prevent a direct pull of the ends ofthe wire 23 from the binding posts formed by the bushings 15 and thesleeves 20.

I claim:

1. A plug connecter comprising a shell having a wall, the wall having apair of openings and surfaces inclined to the inside surface of the wallto form depressions on the inside side of the wall and extending to andhaving their greater depth at the openings, arcuate shaped springcontacts located on the inside of the wall and terminating at theopenings and having end portions located in the depressions formed bythe said inclined surfaces and bowed away from the inclined surfaces andthe adjoining surface-of the body of the wall, the other end portions ofthe contacts connected to the wall, a member having a pair of terminals,the terminals having turned ends insertible through and rotatable in theopenings, the terminals protruding from the member a length to cause theturned ends to engage and ride the inside sides of the spring contactswhen the member is rotated to increase the contact pressure between theterminals and the contacts and securely hold the member against theoutside surface of the wall.

2. A plug connecter comprising a shall having a wall forming a chamberwithin the shell, the wall having radially extending openings, a pair ofarcuate shaped contacts located in the chamber, one end of each of thecontacts secured to the wall and the other end slidably located on thesurface of the wall and terminating near the edge of the opening andhaving a portionintermediate its ends raised above the surface of thewall, a member having a pair of terminals, the terminals having partsextending at right angles to body parts of the terminals and insertiblethrough the opening in the wall, the radially extending terminal partslocated from the member a distance to enable insertion of the radiallyextending terminal parts through the Wall and the engagement of theinner surfaces of the contacts remote from the end edges of the contactswhen rotated and the member is placed against the shell and operable todepress the raised central portions of the contacts and press the memberagainst the shell.

ES'I'EL C. RANEY.

